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How to Create a Compelling Call to Action

Posted on 03/07/2016

If your website doesn't have some sort of call to action, there’s a good chance you’re losing out on sales. Calls to action tell your readers to do exactly what you'd like them to. And if your call to action is engaging, your readers will be far more likely to take that action.

Consider these tips for creating a compelling call to action from Entrepreneur.com

Create a personable experience. Let's say that you're promoting an eBook about do-it-yourself oil changes and you've written an article about the importance of regular oil changes for a vehicle. Instead of ending your piece with "Those interested in learning more can click here to buy this eBook," it's better to say something like "Click here to buy this eBook and become a master oil changer!" Unlike the first instance, the second instance speaks directly to the reader as if they're a personal friend. It also tells a small story that tells readers exactly what they can expect after buying and reading the eBook. And in the end, this personable experience takes readers beyond a basic pitch and creates an engaging and compelling reason for them to buy.

Provide directions. Most people on the Internet are busy doing things like checking their email, surfing websites, and participating in social networks – all at the same time, so chances are that they won't want to spend the time trying to figure out how to actually take advantage of your offer after they have read about it. Telling your readers where to click, explaining when to join a live session, and providing links to in-depth instructions when necessary, can noticeably increase your conversion rates.

Go big and stand out. Make sure that your calls to action stand out from the rest of your content so there isn't a chance that it will be missed by readers just skimming your page. In fact, a good CTA that catches the eye of readers as soon as they reach the page may find themselves more intrigued by the content that precedes it.

Keep it short and simple. To avoid giving your CTAs a salesy feel, it's important to keep them short and simple. Tell just enough of a story to spark interest and get straight to the point by following up with an actionable demand. By simply saying "click here to buy" instead of "check out all the benefits" ensures that readers know what to expect when they do click your link, and it gives all the power to your landing page so it can do the job of selling for you. Each call to action you create shouldn't be any longer than just a line or two – this will ensure that you don't leave any room for fluff or desperation.